Leveling means for railway cars



7 1,616,976 C. P. KNOX ET- AL LEVELING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CARS Feb. 8 1927.

Filed Jan. 2 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Feb. 8,1 p; KNOX ET AL LEVELING MEANS F612 RAILWAY CARS Filed Jan. 26, 1926. 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1, 16, 76 1927' c. P. KNOX ET AL v 6 LEVEL ING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CARS- Filed Jan. 26, 1%26 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS a P MW Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

CHARLES 1=. KNOX, on NEWAR nn. Invm' srrvrons, or rAssAIo; NEW JERSEY.

- L'Evn Ine MnAns FOR RAILWAY aims.- l

Applicationfil ed Janiiary 26, 126..; Serial mantras;

I This invention relates, generally, to improvements in railway cars; and, the present invention has reference, more particularly,-to a novel means applicable'to the trucks 5 upon which the car-body is mounted, such means servingto maintain the body of the car on a level or horizontal plane, while rounding curves.

The present inventi 'on has for its principal object to provide, a novel and simple construction, as well as an effectively operating means for use'with railway trucks of the six wheel type, for maintaining the body of the car in a level or horizontal plane, while rounding curves, whether right or left-hand curves, with a 7 view of providing comfortable riding, reventing the likelihood of passengers being thrownfrom the upper berths of sleeping cars; and turthermore; to prevent spilling or slopping over of food from dishes placed upon the tables ofdining cars; and, generally, toprevent accidental movement of merchandisehandled in cars, when a train is moving-with great speed over a curve."

Other objects of the present invention notat this time more particularly enumerated will be more fully, understood from thejfollowing detailed description of the, present invention. r lVith the varlous je ts of the present invention in.- view, the said'invention con: sists, primarily, 1n a novel means for ma ntaming the bOClIGS Ol railway, cars in a henzontal or level relation when rounding curves V and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the general arrangements and coin binations of the several 'devicesand parts, interposed: between the trucks and the'body of a railway car, comprising wedge-shaped or inclined elements longitudinally 7 arranged'in pairs at the sides of each six wheel truck over the Center wheels thereof', and

viewsito indicate corresponding. parts;

movably or, slidably disposed upon each other-Q, whereby the j motion between the trucks and the bodyot the car-is com-- relatiOn,

direction of the arrow 5 in SaidFIgure 4;

-lligure 8 is a 'liagrammatlo view the direction indicated the arrow m;

Figure 2 is an end view of one of the trucks and fragmentary portion of the car-body; and Figure 3 is a plan or top 'view of one oft-he trucks. p f, i v i Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 1, showing the'relative positions of the trucks" t'o the car-body, when rounding alefthand curve and'when travelling inithe same di- Vrection as in Figure 1 'indicated' bythe' arrow 'y in saidFigure I F1gure'5 1s a diagrammatic view ofone of the trucks'and car-body looking, in the and Figure dis a similar view of parts of the other truck and car-body, looklng inthe direction or the arrow Gin said Figure 4:.

H Figure 7 is another view similarto Fig= ure 1, showing the relative positions of the trucks to the car-body when. rounding a rji'ght hand curve, and when travellingflin by the arrow 21' in said Figure 7.

the same direction as'in Figure 1, indicated of one of .th etru'oks andcar body looking in the direction of the arrow 8 in's'aid Figure 7 and Figure '9 is a 'similar'vlew of parts of the other truck and oar-body lookingi'in the direction of the-arrow 9 in said Figure 7 Similar characters of reference are em ployed in all of the said abovedescnbed Referring now to these vera1 figures of i the drawings, [the reference-character 10 indicates a fragmentary'portion of the body of a railway car; and 11' and"12" are the 1 sualsix-wheel trucks having a swinging relation hor zontallytothe'body ofthe car, i

by means of the usual king-pin connections.

a 12 being likewise provided upon each outer end-portion of its central cross-member 16 with wedge-shaped block-members 17. As shown in Figures 1, 4 and 7 of the drawings, the upper tapered surfaces 18 and 19 of the respective block-members 15 and 17 incline in downward directions toward each other and toward the middle of the car-body. Suitably secured to the lower timber or flooring of the car-body, in proper locations near the respective sides of the .car-body, so as to' correspond in position to the respective block-members 15 and 17 of the trucks, 11 and 12, are other wedge-shaped block-members 20 and 21, the lower tapered surfaces 22 and 23 of the said respective block-members 20 and 21 inclining in directions away from each other and toward the respective ends of the body of the car, substantially as shown, and the inclined surfaces 22 and 23 o'f the respective block-members 20 and 21, being adapted to ride directly upon the respective inclined surfaces 18 and 19 of the respective block-members 15 and 17.,

The operation of these wedgesha'ped leveling device's, briefly, is as follows a When the car istravelling upon a straight track, the respective block-members 15 and 20,and 17 and 21 are in the relative positions represented in Figure 1 of'the drawings,

maintainingthe body of the car in a horizontal or level position, as will be evident. However, when rounding a left-hand curve, the swinging of the trucks Hand 12 in the directions of the arrows sand t, see Figure 4 of the drawings, 'due to the curves'in the rails of the track, thus cause the respective block-members 15 and 20, and 17' and 21, to

assumethe relative positions represented in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, and no matter what the degree of curvature of the rails, or their inclination toward each other,

the result will. be that the body of the car still maintains its horizontal or level relation." In like manner, when rounding 'a right-hand curve, the swinging of the trucks in the directions of the arrows u and 12, see

and 21, to assume the'relative positions rep resented in Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, and as in the afore-stated case, no matter what-the degree; of thecurvatureof the rails, or their inclination toward each other, the result in this instance will also be that the body of thecar'constantly maintains its "horizontal or level relation. a

From the foregoing description of the present invention it will be seen, that'by the arrangement of the wedge-shaped devices or members placed at the outer sides of the trucks above and preferably outwardly beyond the center wheels and at the sides of the car-body, near the end-portions of the latter, we have provided a simply constructed and efliciently operating means for at all. times maintaining the body of the car in a horizontal or level relation, irrespective of the degrees of curvature and inclination of the rails, and irrespective of the'speed at which the train is travelling.

Of course, we are aware that the invention is capable of some changes in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in thefforegoing specification, and as defined in the clauses of the claims which are appended thereto; Hence, we do not limit our invention tothe exact arrangements and combinations of the severaldevices and parts as described in'the said specification, nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details of the construction of the said trucks parallel to thelongitudinalaxis of the car body, and wedge-shaped means depending from the body of the car also parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car body,

the inclined surfaces of said latter means being in slidable relationwith the inclined surfaces of the wedge-shaped means of the trucks for maintaining a level relation of the car-body when rounding curves. 2'

2. In a railway car, in combination with the body of the car and the'trucks thereof,

wedge-shaped means mounted upon said.

trucks parallel to'the longitudinal axis'of the car body, the tapered surfaces of' said longitudinally opposed wedge-shaped means upon the respectivetrucks including downwardly towardeach other, and wedge-shaped means depending from the body of'the car,

near the ends thereof, the tapered surfaces of i said latter means inclining upwardly in directions toward the respective end-portions of the body of the car. andbeing, respectively, slidably disposed upon the inclined surfaces of the wedge-shaped means of the respective trucks for ,maintaining: a level i-elation of the car-body when rounding QCUIVES.

a 3., In a railway car, in combination with the body of the car and the trucks thereof,

wedge-shaped means mounted uponjandat the end-portions of the cross-beams of; the

respective trucks parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car body, the taperedsu rfaces of said longitudinally opposite wedge-shaped downwardly toward each other, and Wedge.

shaped means depending from thebody of v the car at the sides and near, the ends thereof, the tapered surfaces of said latter means in-.

clining upwardly in directions toward the respective end-portiens of the body of the car and being, respectively, slidably disposed upon the inclined surfaces of the Wedgeshaped means of the respective trucks for 10 maintaining a level relation of the car-body When rounding curves.

In testimony that we claim the invention set forth above We have hereunto set our hands this 22nd day of January, v1926.

CHARLES P. KNOX. IRVIN' SIMONS. 

